the beach today
Gulf Coast Guide

Galveston

Island Time

Everything for a day on the Texas gulf coast, conditions, parking, the harbor sunset and where to eat after 32 miles of beach.

Today on the Sand

loading live data…

Water Temp

84°

warm · gentle surf

UV Index

9

very high · 10am–4pm

Beach Crowd

Busy

holiday weekend

Beach Toolkit

Beach Conditions

Surf, tides & water temp

Parking Finder

Beach parks, Seawall & meters

Harbor Sunset

Pier 21 harbor sunset & cam

Dining

Gulf shrimp, oysters & snapper

Things to Do

Dolphin & harbor tours

Events

What's on this week

Pick Your Sand

north to south

Stewart Beach

Family park at the east end · lifeguards & rentals

Paid lot · $15/vehicle

East Beach

Big open sand · festivals & the only beach bar

Paid lot · alcohol OK

Seawall Urban Beaches

10 miles of sand below the Seawall wall

Metered · free pockets

Pocket Park 2

Quiet West End access · dune walkover

Paid lot · calmer

Galveston Island State Park

Dunes, bay side & trails · West End

State park · entry fee

Babe's Beach

Reclaimed sand west of 61st · wide & uncrowded

Seawall parking

Dolphin Cruises

Open →

Compare daily sails from the marina — wild dolphins on nearly every trip.

Beyond the Beach

day trips

Bolivar Peninsula

Ferry only

Free Bolivar ferry to Crystal Beach & the lighthouse

Kemah

40 min north

Boardwalk rides & bayfront seafood on Clear Lake

Jamaica Beach

20 min west

Quiet West End town & canal-side cottages

Houston

50 min north

Museums, Space Center & the big city up I-45

see you on the sand

Water temp, surf and UV are live from NOAA & Open-Meteo; sunset is computed locally for Galveston. Crowd level is a weekday/weekend estimate.

Right now at Galveston, the water is 88°F, surf is running 2–3 ft and the air is 88°F but feels like 93°F. Wind is 16 mph from the ESE and the UV index peaks at 7 (high) today. Unprotected fair skin burns in about 37 minutes right now, and the strongest stretch runs 12 PM to 4 PM. Today’s tides: High 2:20 AM, Low 3:34 PM.